Know your consumer rights?

News & Guides one year ago

Only 4% of consumers claim to have a strong grasp on consumer rights according to a recent survey. So whether you’ve bought faulty goods or simply just changed your mind on a purchase, check out our guide on your rights….

Myth 1 – You are always entitled to a refund as long as you have proof of purchase when you return an item.

Reality – On the high street, you are only entitled to a refund by law if the item is faulty or not fit for purpose. You technically have no rights if you simply don’t like an item or have changed your mind. However, many stores have their own policies which allow returns within a set period.

Myth 2 – If you've lost your receipt you can’t return an item.

Reality – If you are returning an item because it is faulty or not fit for purpose you can use another form of proof of purchase, for example a bank statement, to claim your refund. However, this is only the case if you are entitled to a refund by law, not under a store’s policy, which may state that a receipt is required.

Myth 3 – Retailers have to honour the price on incorrect tags

Reality – Unfortunately if an item is labelled incorrectly a shop is not legally obliged to sell it to you at that price, however good a bargain it is! The same rules apply online, if an item is listed at the wrong price and the mistake is noticed before the sale is confirmed, the site is well within its rights to refuse the sale. However, if your purchase has been accepted, you can insist that the retailer honours the transaction.

Myth 4– You can’t get a refund on sale items.

Reality – When you buy an item in the sales you have the same legal rights as if you bought it full price and you are entitled to a refund if you bought an item which is faulty or not fit for purpose. The only exception is if an item was sold to you at a discount because of a fault which was highlighted to you or you could have been reasonably expected to notice.

Myth 5 – If an item is broken you need to return it to the manufacturer not the shop.

Reality – Your contract is with whoever sold you the goods and they are responsible for sorting out any problems which may arise rather than the manufacturer.

Hitachi Hints and Tips is intended to be informative and interesting. It does not constitute financial advice, and you should always do further research when making any financial decisions. All information was correct at date of publication.

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